I wouldn't insult locals

Lord knows I wasn't trying to insult anyone (it's not my way) when I wrote in about the pronunciation of Monticello [September 2: "Do locals always rule?"].

I have been extremely fortunate to have been very close to many local folks who were born in the first decades of the 20th century, who lived their entire long lives in Albemarle County, and who died here. Every one of them said Mont-i-SELL-o, and many local people well into their 70s now also use this pronunciation.

As I originally wrote, that's the pronunciation used by "old timers." None of these folks would add "false local flavor" as Howard Huffman impugned in his September 9 letter ["Locals know it's 'chello'"] with such unjustified indignation.